Convertible excursion outfit



Jan. 2, 1934. BELLAWA 1,941,652

CONVERTIBLE EXCURSION OUTFIT .Filed March 31, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet, l

J 27 If INVENTOR' ATTORNEY Jan. 2, 1934. P. BELLAVIA 1,941,652

CONVERTIBLE EXCURSION OUTFIT Filed March 31, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet. 2

. INVENTOR f fl/i Bella Vz'a M ATTORNEY 55 tions;

Patented Jan. 2 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE My invention relates to convertible outfit cases for use in the open air by excursion or pleasure parties, such as persons holding a picnic, engaged in camping, or traveling by automobile.

An object of the invention is the provision of an improved equipment of the character referred to, which'will be simple in construction, easy to manipulate, and portable; and one in which the parts, in order to be conveniently transported by automobile or carried by hand, are so constructed and arranged that they can be transformed either into cases characteristic or suggestive of suitcases or into accessories or assemblies capable of being put into such cases.

It is within the province of my invention to furnish from suitcase assemblies the equipment necessary to erect or set up a bench structure in the form of a hollow square, adapted tosurround a central table and to seat together about such table a pleasure party consisting of a number of persons; and further to provide, for support by the bench structure, a framework for carrying an overhead canopy or tent-like covering.

My invention in its preferred embodiment as reduced to practice includes a suitcase composed of parts convertible into main bench sections, which come at opposite sides of the central table, which support the tent framework, and to which auxiliary bench sections are connected in place so as to produce a bench having the form of a hollow square. The table itself is produced from a second suitcase which is adapted to carry the auxiliary bench sections and other parts of the equipment.

Other objects and aspects of the invention will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the improved portable equipment or kit, and in the construction, combination and relative arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth and subsequently incorporated in the subjoined claims.

The invention will be best understood by referring to the accompanying drawings, which form a material part of this application, and in which:

Figure l represents a perspective view, showing the outfit as it appears when erected and in condition for use by a picnic or camping party, the tent covering being broken away in order better to illustrate the tent framework, and the table being shown in dash-dot lines;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view'of the main suitcase which is convertible into ,the main bench sec- Fig. 3 is a top plan view showing the main suitcase opened; 7

Fig. 4 is a detail perspective View showing the assembly of parts which constitute the apex of the tent framework;

Fig. 5 is a section taken on the line 55 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a plan and section of the top end of one of the corner upright couplings for the framework;

Fig. 7 is a section taken on the line 7-7 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary perspective view on a larger scale, showing the connecting devices provided on the ends of the auxiliary bench sections;

Fig. 9 is a similar View, but showing the type of sockets provided in the main bench sections for receiving the connecting devices; and

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary perspective view of the second suitcase from which the table is produced.

Referring to the drawings in detail, M designates in general the main suitcase which is convertible into the main bench sections, while N designates the suitcase, fractionally shown, which is convertible either into a table or a babys cradle and which may be employed as the means for carrying the auxiliary bench sections.

The main suitcase M, according to the present exemplification, is composed of four similar elongated box-like structures a, a, b and b. Each of these box-like structures includes a back Wall 10, opposite side walls 11 and 11 and opposite end walls 12 and 12 As clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the box-like structures are connected by pairs in order to provide the main bench sections, a and w being connected by hin es 13 to provide one main bench section and b and b being connected by hinges 13' to provide the second main bench section. As shown, the hinges 13 and 13 join the inner ends 12 of the respective pairs. As best shown in Fig. 3, the respective pairs a, a. and b, b are adapted to be arranged side by side with the side walls 11 of one pair abutting the side walls 11 of the other pair. The two pairs are then detachably united by means of connecting devices comprising studs 14 pivoted to move on axis pins 15 so as to be applied across the abutting sides 11' 11' and to enter into suitable open notches therein; and said studs have wing nuts 16 screw-threaded thereon, which, when the studs have been entered in the notches, may be turned home and tightened so as to securely hold the two pairs together. Then by closing the box-like structures a, b upon their complementary struc- .70 bench sections may be disconnected from its adtures a b, the suitcase M is produced, the pairs of free ends 12 being then connected by any suitable clasp mechanism (not shown). The outer sides 11 of the pair a a may be provided with suitable hand grips as 17.

By making the main suitcase M as described, the two pairs a, a, and b, 2;, may be separated by loosening the Wing nuts 16 and withdrawing the studs 14 from the transverse notches in the abutting sides 11. Now each of the box-like structures a, a, and b, b is provided with two supporting leg members 18, which are secured by hinges 19. These supporting legs are of a width to fit between the sides 11 and 11 and they are hinged in such position that they may be collapsed one upon the other within the box structure, or extended at right angles with respect to the back 10 of the box structure. One leg is hinged at either end of the box as shown and in such manner that when extended at right angles to the back 10 it will abut against the adjacent end of the box. Thus. one leg will abut against the end 12 while the other leg will abut against the end 12. To maintain the legs in extended position, I prefer to employ suitable angle braces 20 carried by the sides of the boxes and provided with elongated slots 21 in which work suitable pins 22 which project from the legs. When the legs are extended the pins enter suitable dwells associated with the slots so as to be maintained thereby in firm abutment against the ends of the boxes.

As shown in Fig. 1, the pair a a is adapted to be set up to constitute a main bench section on which persons may sit along one side of the table T a which is produced from the other suitcase N,

while the pair b b is adapted to be set up to constitute a parallel main bench section extending along the opposite side of the table. These two main parallel bench sections are then connected by auxiliary bench sections of which there are two for connecting the opposite ends of the main. bench sections so as to complete about the central table T a bench in the form of a hollow square. Each of the auxiliary bench sections comprises elongated box-like structures 0 and d hinge connected at 23 and each having a hinge connected leg 24 arranged in a manner similar to the legs of the box structures formin the main'bench sections. The outer ends of each of the structures c and d are provided with connecting decommunicating slots 27. as best shown in Fig. 9.

The heads are adapted to enter the eyes 26 and to be moved behind the walls defining the communicating slots 27 so as to provide a firm union; it being observed that the head pins 25 are carried by plates 28 which are secured in a countersunk position in the ends of the auxiliary sections, While the eyes 26 and communicating slots 27 are provided in other plates 29 similarly countersunk in the adjacent sides of the main bench sections.

' Through these connecting means, the auxiliary bench sections may be detachably secured in place between the main bench sections; and this arrangement is such that, where desired, any one of the box structures composin the auxiliary jacent main bench section and dropped down to the earth as illustrated in Fig. 1. in order to provide suitable ingress or egress to the space around f the center table.

According to a feature of my invention the main bench sections are employed as means for supporting a tent framework. Thus, in Fig. 1, it will be seen that at the corners of the main bench sections there are provided suitable eyelet holders 30 and 31, arranged in alignment, the eyelet holder 30 being attached to the corner of the box structure, while the eyelet holder 31 is attached to the corner supporting leg. Removably engaged with each pair of eyelet holders is a corner upright 32, equipped at its top end with a corner coupling device which is indicated generally by the numeral 33. It will be noted that the upright rods 32 may touch the ground and extend well above the benches to add stability to the same when joined together, as shown in the drawings. The corner coupling devices are designed to afiord means whereby detachably to secure cross members 34 and top or cover members 35 to the corner uprights. As illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7 in detail, each coupling device consistsof a sleeve 36 which is screwthreaded upon the corner upright and a tubular member 37 which is screw-threaded into the sleeve in axial alignment therewith so'as'to receive therein the angularly bent end portion 38 of the top member 35 for that particular corner. The sleeve 36 carries an upwardly extending snap clasp device 39 adapted detachably to secure upon the tubular member 37 the loop portions 40 which comprise, respectively, the terminals of the two cross members 34 which convergeat the corner for union with the corner uprights 32. As will be observed, the end portion 38 is firmly secured in the tubular member 37 by means of a pinch screw 41 which is screw-threaded transversely through the sleeve 36 and tubular member 37. The top or cover members 35 converge to produce the apex of the tent, and as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, each is formed with a terminal loop 42 which surrounds a stud 43. One end of the stud 43 is provided with a head 44 and opposite thereto it carries a wing nut 45 which is screw-threaded thereon. Under this arrangement, the terminal loops 42 may. be secured tightly against one another between the head 44 and wing nut 45. Owing to the fact that the bench structure surrounding the central table is in the form of a hollow square and further to the fact that the corner uprights 32 are supported by the main bench sections at the outer corners thereof, there is no interference with the seating capacity of the bench structure and both the bench structure and the central table may be covered over by a canopy or covering 46 which is stretched over the top or roof members 35 and drawn tightly downwardly from the central apex to the cross members 34. The canopy or covering maybe secured in place by any suitable means, that shown herein consisting of clips 47 furnished on the interior of the canopy and adapted to be snapped over the cross members 34. Also, for further securing the canopy in place at the corners of the tent structure, each of the corner uprights 32 may be'provided with an angle piece 48 to which a flap 49 may be secured. The flaps 49 for attachment tothe angle pieces 48 are provided on the interior. of the canopy. Preferably and as shown, the canopy is furnished with a fringe 50 which depends from the cross pieces 34. 5

Each of the corner uprights 32, cross pieces 34 and top pieces 35 is preferably made up of a plurality of rods which are screw-threaded to.-.

gether end to end as at 51. These rods, when separated, are of less length than the length of the respective suitcases, so that they may be put in the suitcases for transportation.

As previously intimated, the table T is produced from the suitcase N, and for the details of this transmission, reference may be had to my companion case above referred to. Said suitcase N may also be employed as a container in which to pack for transportation the auxiliary bench sections, the canopy, and also some or all of the rods which result from separating the upright members 32, cross members 34 and top members 35.

It may be stated here that in dismantling the tent, it is only necessary to loosen the pinch screws 41 in order to remove the top members 35, whereupon the loop portions 40 can be pressed out of engagement with the snap clasp 39 and off the tubular member 37. Upon loosening the wing nut 45, the radiating terminal loops 42 may be swung into a compact symmetrical bundle and then resecured in such condition by the wing nut. In this way, I make a compact bundle, which occupies but little space, and may be placed in one of the suitcases.

When the outfit is erected for use as illustrated in Fig. 1, a very firm and stable structure is provided, and one which is not easily upset, owing to the fact that the bench structure, by which the tent is supported, is in the form of a hollow square. By those familiar with tent structures and the conventional means of securing the same, it will be readily understood that when a strong wind is blowing suitable guy ropes may be employed to connect the tent framework with pegs which are driven into the ground in spaced relation about the structure. With a little practice the structure may be either erected or dismantled with dispatch. The two suitcases into which the elements of the outfit are in part transformed and in part packed, are convenient for handling and carrying, and as well for transporting by automobile.

It will be manifest from the foregoing that I have disclosed a thoroughly satisfactory outfit which embodies the features of advantage enumerated in the statement of the invention and above description, and while I have, in the present instance, shown and described a preferred embodiment thereof as reduced to practice, it is to be understood that the construction is susceptible of modification in various particulars without departing from the spirit or scope of my invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

I claim:

1. In an outfit of the character set forth, a case separable into sections, each of which comprises a plurality of hinge-connected box-like structures adapted to be put in lengthwise relation to constitute a bench unit, legs associated with the box-like structures and movable to a position to support the structures as bench units, and means comprising auxiliary benches for connecting the box-like structures of one bench unit with those of the next bench unit.

2. In an outfit of the character set forth, a case separable into sections, each of which comprises a plurality of hinge-connected box-like structures adapted to be put in lengthwise relation to constitute a bench unit, legs associated with the box-like structures and movable into a position to support the structures as bench units, auxiliary bench units, and coupling means on the first named bench unit and auxiliary unit for detachably securing them together.

PETER BELLAVIA. 

